CARICOM
UNITED NATIONS REGIONAL
WORKSHOP ON CENSUS
CARTOGRAPHY AND
MANAGEMENT :
CENSUS MANAMGENT AND PLANNING
WITH THE USE OF GIS
Port of Spain 22-26 Oct 2007
OVERVIEW OF
PRESENTATION
• Introduction
• What is GIS and the Benefits
• Census Management and Planning
with the use of GIS in 2000 Round
• Country Experience
• Major Challenges
• Recommendation for the way forward
• Conclusion
INTRODUCTION
• The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) comprises
15 Member States and 5 Associate Members
• The countries of the Caribbean Community
(CARICOM) have a long history of conducting
population censuses
• Appreciable
•
regional
collaboration
and
coordination in conducting population censuses
have existed over the years.
What is GIS
Geographic Information System or GIS is a
collection of computer hardware, software,
geographic data and personnel assembled
to capture, store, retrieve, update,
manipulate, analyse and display
geographically referenced information.
How is it applied
• Cartographic segmenting activities are developed
within census preparatory tasks and consist of
executing a set of different field and office tasks,
directed towards dividing the territory of each district
of the country into work areas (Enumeration Districts)
which shall be assigned to various census officials
(Enumerators and Supervisors) during the Survey
stage.
What are the benefits
The data integration functions provided by
GIS, for example linking of information from
many different subject matters have led to a
wider use of statistical information in the
Caribbean region.
What are the benefits
• Cartographic presentation of census
results using GIS provides a
powerful means for visualizing the
results of census.
• Maps are integral part of policy
analysis in the public and private
sectors in the region.
What are the benefits
• In addition to enabling more efficient
production of enumerator maps and
thematic maps of census results,
Geographic Information System
(GIS) now plays a key role in census
data analysis and dissemination
Census Management and
Planning with the use of GIS in
2000 Round
In the framework of the preparatory tasks of
the 2000 Round of Censuses, some Member
States and Associate Member States in The
Caribbean Region embarked on developing
digital mapping and applying Geographic
Information System (GIS).
Management and Planning
with the use of GIS 2000
Round
During the 2000 Round of censuses GIS
was new in the region and not all Member
States had the technology
The extent to which Member States used
GIS in the 2000 Round of Censuses differ
from country to country but mostly
centred on work load allocation.
Management and Planning with
the use of GIS in 2000 Round
Effort were made by Member States to
ensure that common GIS technology were
used
The main software used is ArcGIS.
COUNTRY EXPERIENCE
• Group 1: St Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago - GIS
for Mapping, workload allocation, analysis
and dissemination and has functional
Cartographic Unit. In addition, St Lucia will
use GPS technology in 2010 Round.
• Group 2 Anguilla, Cayman Islands, OECS,
Jamaica and Bermuda - GIS for mapping
• Group 3 – Introductory to GIS: Guyana,
Suriname, Bahamas, - Introduced to GIS
and will be used in 2010 Round
Major Challenges
Arising out of the experience of the 2000
Round of Censuses on the use of GIS
were the following challenges:
• Acquisition Cost – Funding of Equipment
and software
• Availability of Technical Expertise
• Retention of Qualified Staff to manage
Project
• Rapid Change of Technology
Recommendation for the way
forward
The Caribbean Community and the Member
and Associate Member States hope to
improve and consolidate on the support
and cooperation for the forth coming 2010
Round.
Recommendation for the way
forward
Successful implementation of GIS for
management and planning of 2010 Round
of Censuses requires the following:
• A detailed assessment of the status and
need for assistance of Member States;
• Strengthening of the regional
coordination mechanism;
• Providing advisory and technical support;
Recommendation for the way
forward
Training in vital areas (and updated
versions) in the use of GIS.
Tertiary Institutions in the region to
expand Geography/Cartography programs
to include GIS to train more persons to
better respond to market and labour
requirements in the region
Procuring of key equipment and software
for use by Member and Associate Member
States.
conclusion
Note the benefits and successful
application of GIS in some Member States;
Note the challenges arising from the 2000
Round of Censuses.
A more improved, sustained and
aggressive efforts on the application of
GIS in the Region in the 2010 Round.
CARICOM
THANK YOU
THE END